New: Police Nab 34 at Kelantan Migrant Smuggling Landing Point

Police have arrested 34 people, including four locals suspected of being smugglers, in a raid on a Kelantan migrant smuggling route at the Yuti Illegal Landing Point in Nibong, Tanah Merah, according to a Bernama report carried by The Star.

The operation was carried out at 9.45am on Sunday (Nov 8), Tanah Merah district police chief Supt Mohd Haki Hasbullah said in a statement on Monday (Nov 9).

30 Myanmar Nationals Detained

Apart from the four locals, those held were 30 Myanmar nationals, made up of 18 men and 12 women.

Mohd Haki said the raid was based on intelligence and was carried out by the district police headquarters’ Internal Security and Public Order division.

“The operation was led by the Nibong police station and Batu Gajah police station chiefs,” he said, adding that 10 personnel from the Nibong, Batu Gajah, Bukit Bunga and Lalang Pepuyu police stations took part.

Three Suspects Test Positive for Drugs

Three of the four local suspects tested positive for drugs, Mohd Haki said.

Police also found a bottle containing an estimated 450ml of liquid suspected to be ketum water in a car. Two cars were seized for further investigation.

The case is being investigated under Sections 55E and 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952.

Kelantan Migrant Smuggling Fees

The arrests come days after the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said a syndicate was believed to be charging between RM3,500 and RM10,000 to bring foreigners into the state by sea, Bernama reported on Thursday (Nov 5).

MMEA deputy director-general (Operations) Maritime Vice-Admiral Mohd Zawawi Abdullah said then that the fee depended on the location and nationality of those involved, and that 189 illegal immigrants had been detained in Kelantan between January and October this year.

He said Myanmar nationals made up the largest group of those arrested, at 166.

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